Starting NBA Franchise: Pick One Player To Build Around

Los Angeles Lakers ready for another 3-peat, the Miami Heat hoping to go undefeated, and Boston Celtics trying for one last run at the title.

The hot topic already is who will win the MVP award this season? The back to back reigning MVP, Lebron James, left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Maybe the move will open up the door for Kevin Durant or Dwight Howard.

ESPN recently had a discussion about the player they would start a franchise today. The top 4 players included Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, and Dwyane Wade. Some would still say Kobe Bryant because of leadership and desire to win. When picking a franchise player, it’s smart to pick some in their early to mid 20s. You want someone who wants to win, hard-worker, and like able.

Lebron James has shown the world what he brings to the table. He single handily turned the Cleveland Cavaliers from a lottery team to championship contenders during his first 7 years. No doubt that Lebron is a special player and has top 3 talent in today’s game. Lebron could have averaged a triple-double during the regular season if he tried. The one main factor as to why he isn’t the player that should go first is because of his performance in the playoffs. It seems like he quits on his team when it matters the most. Why have a player that won’t give it his all on the main stage?

Dwyane Wade showed very early in his career that if you put talent around him, he can win a championship. Shaq definitely helped shape Dwyane into the player he is today. He’s got the skills to do pretty much anything on the basketball court. His defense is outstanding for a small shooting guard. The only thing about Wade is that he can’t do it alone and needs another superstar. Shooting guards need a big man to help win a ring, just ask Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady or Reggie Miller.

An amazing young player that finally caught the attention of NBA fans around the world is Kevin Durant. Played one full season at the University of Texas and got the most out of it. He can score almost on demand and watching him win the scoring title last season was great. He gave the Lakers a tough challenge in the first round last season, even with a young core of teammates. He makes all of his teammates better. He might not have the assist numbers but he’s a great rebounding forward. He’s only 22 years old and would be a great choice to start a franchise around.

The player I want on my team if I’m starting a franchise today would be Dwight Howard. It’s very rare to find a dominating 7 foot center in the NBA. We haven’t seen a young center this great since Shaquille O’Neal. Dwight has been the Defensive Player of the Year for the past 2 seasons. He’s only 25 years old and has already led his team to a NBA championship appearance. It’s only a matter of time before his scoring numbers begin to rise. It’s very important to have a good center or you’ll have trouble winning. Every championship team had a great big man and without one, you won’t survive.